Chessboard Mountain was silent.
After Tong Yan said this, no one spoke.
Yes, being worthy of respect, bearing and grace-all of those mattered, but what mattered most was still the result.
Tong Yan opened his eyes, turned to Jing Jiu, and said, "It's not that I've never lost. When I first learned Go, I lost seventeen games in a row to Madam, but... I don't want to lose to you."
The others felt nothing particular at these words, assuming Tong Yan meant a contest for the limelight between geniuses. Xiang Wanshu, however, was somewhat startled. He knew his Senior Brother was aloof and proud, disliking even their eldest Senior Brother Luo Huainan and unwilling to grow close to him. Yet in the Way of Go, his Senior Brother was a man of great grace. Whoever his opponent was, he never withheld praise for an exquisite move, and he showed a little more respect to true masters of Go, such as Scholar Guo and He Zhan.
Why, then, would his Senior Brother say something like this after losing to Jing Jiu today?
"After today, do you still think Go is just a game?"
Tong Yan stared into Jing Jiu's eyes as he asked.
Stones had fallen, thunder had exploded, and heaven and earth had responded. How could a match like this be merely a game?
Jing Jiu thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I still think it's a game."
Tong Yan's eyes widened, faintly bloodshot.
"That is its nature. I'm not belittling it, because games themselves may also have meaning."
Jing Jiu said, "Going through the process, arriving at the result, different paths, different moves-perhaps our lives and the world's existence are all games."
"Everything is a game?"
Tong Yan stared into his eyes and said, "Then have you ever